On January 2nd, the first trading day of 2026, the Hang Seng Index in Hong Kong rose by over 700 points, an increase of about 2.8%, marking its best start since 2013. The first increase at the beginning of the year has added a vivid footnote to the abundant vitality of the Hong Kong economy. A series of impressive data indicate that Hong Kong, which is steadily moving forward on the path of "governance and prosperity", is producing a pleasing economic performance report. Hong Kong will seize this momentum and build a more vibrant innovation and industrial ecosystem to promote high-quality economic development, "said Paul Chan, Financial Secretary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government. Financial Center More Stable On January 8th, the "first stock of big models" Zhipu landed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange; The next day, MiniMax followed suit and went public, with a first day increase of over 109%. At the beginning of the new year, Hong Kong stocks continued the trend of over a hundred new listings last year, welcoming two new artificial intelligence models in succession. The performance of Hong Kong stocks and capital markets reflects the consolidation of Hong Kong's position as an international financial center. In 2025, the size of Hong Kong stock IPOs will more than double year-on-year, ranking first in the world. In terms of asset and wealth management business, in the first nine months of last year alone, the net inflow of funds recognized by the Securities and Futures Commission registered in Hong Kong exceeded 41 billion US dollars, which has increased by more than 1.5 times compared to the full year of 2024. The distinctive "headquarters economy" of Hong Kong is impressive, with nearly 10000 parent companies stationed overseas or in mainland China, setting a new historical high. The highlights of the "event economy" are diverse, with the 15th National Games being jointly organized by Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao, the grand opening of the Kai Tak Sports Park, stars singing one after another, and international cultural and sports events appearing intensively. The number of tourists visiting Hong Kong has rebounded accordingly, with 45 million visitors in the first 11 months of 2025, a year-on-year increase of 12%. The "three carriages" driving economic growth are working together. In the third quarter of 2025, the overall investment expenditure in Hong Kong increased by 4.3% in real terms year-on-year; The growth rate of private consumption expenditure increased by 2.1% in real terms year-on-year; The overall export of goods continued its strong growth momentum throughout the year, with a year-on-year real growth of 12.1%, and the export of services expanded by 6.3% year-on-year in real terms; The forecast for real GDP growth for the whole year of 2025 has been revised upwards from 2% to 3% in August to 3.2%. Innovation and technology have become new engines. While traditional industries continue to improve, emerging industries are also rapidly rising. Hong Kong is transitioning from its traditional roles as an international financial center and shipping hub to a 'diversified innovation driven economy'. On December 22, 2025, the Hong Kong campus of the Hetao Shenzhen Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone was officially opened. Among the 60 companies that have settled in the park, many are "leaders" in their respective fields, including the technology unicorn with the second highest shipment volume of energy storage products in the world, the only Hong Kong brand enterprise in mainland China with independent research and development capabilities for core components of orthopedic surgical robots, and the technology enterprise selected as one of the top 50 artificial intelligence technology enterprises in China by Forbes 2025. Using innovation and technology as a new engine for economic development is a powerful example of Hong Kong's ambition and decision-making vision. The Xintian Technology City, located in the heart of the northern metropolitan area, echoes the Hong Kong Industrial Park in Hetao. As a strategic base for the development of Hong Kong's innovation and technology industry, the first phase and first stage of the project have also been in full swing. New services and new business models are emerging. A multi rotor logistics drone loaded with medicinal insulation boxes took off from Hong Kong Cyberport Waterfront Park and flew across the sea for 18 minutes to deliver the drugs to the outlying island of Cheung Chau, improving transportation efficiency by more than 60%. This is a microcosm of Hong Kong's development of low altitude economy. Last July, Hong Kong passed legislation related to the development of low altitude economy, allowing small drones weighing over 25 kilograms but not exceeding 150 kilograms to be legally used in Hong Kong. AI technology and digital transformation are becoming increasingly popular. Chen Ruijuan, Chairman of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce, stated that nearly 40% of Hong Kong enterprises have adopted artificial intelligence and digital technology. Among enterprises that have adopted AI or digital technology, 75.5% indicate that the most significant effect is the improvement of operational efficiency, which also brings advantages such as reduced operating costs, automation to reduce human errors, and improvement in product and service quality. The combination of shipping and sailing brings recognition and confidence to outstanding economic performance. By 2025, Hong Kong's vitality and charm will be highly recognized by the international community, with the Global Financial Center Index ranking third globally; The world competitiveness ranking continues to rise, returning to the top three globally; The world talent ranking has risen significantly to fourth place globally and first place in Asia; The headquarters of the International Mediation Institute is located in Hong Kong, and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law have announced the establishment of offices in Hong Kong. Super contacts are more trusted. When analyzing the reasons for the hot IPO market in Hong Kong in 2025, Xu Jingwei, head of the Global Listing Services Department of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, noticed that half of the mainland companies listed in Hong Kong throughout the year had a considerable proportion of overseas business income, and the financing amount accounted for about 80% of the new stock financing amount in the Hong Kong market. This reflects that mainland enterprises have further moved from traditional export trade to building a global operational system. As an international financing platform, Hong Kong is the first choice for mainland enterprises to go global, "he said. The 'sailing together' is more prosperous. Last May, Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam led a business delegation to visit Qatar and Kuwait, and reached a total of 59 memorandums of understanding and agreements on cooperation. This is also the first time that mainland enterprises have participated in a Hong Kong business delegation's visit, including more than 20 mainland entrepreneurs. In October and December of the same year, the Mainland Enterprise Overseas Special Class and the Hong Kong Professional Service Overseas Platform were launched in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce recently released the results of its "Business Outlook Questionnaire Survey" and economic forecast, predicting that Hong Kong's GDP growth will reach 2.7% in 2026. Among the interviewed companies, nearly half of them hold a positive attitude towards Hong Kong's economic outlook for the next 12 months, a significant increase from 18.3% in the same period last year. 2026 is the starting year of the national '15th Five Year Plan', and it will also be a year for the special administrative region government to continue to make full efforts to promote the economy, seek development, carry out construction, and benefit people's livelihoods. It will be a year for actively aligning with the national '15th Five Year Plan' and achieving further development. ”Li Jiachao said. (New Society)